초록 ▼

A compact, electrochemical converter can be achieved using thin plates of electrolyte and interconnector. Impermeable, straight, thin plates of solid-oxide electrolyte are fabricated by high energy plasma spray methods under controlled temperature conditions. Thin sheets of nickel alloys or silicon

A compact, electrochemical converter can be achieved using thin plates of electrolyte and interconnector. Impermeable, straight, thin plates of solid-oxide electrolyte are fabricated by high energy plasma spray methods under controlled temperature conditions. Thin sheets of nickel alloys or silicon carbide or platinum alloys can be used to form the interconnector. The electrolyte and interconnector plates can be assembled into a converter stack at an elevated temperature such that upon cooling and during subsequent operational temperature excursions, the electrolyte plates will remain in compression. The stacks can be connected together to form modules which can be used as stand-alone electricity generators or used in combined cycle, cogeneration and gasifier systems.

대표청구항 ▼

An electrochemcial converter comprising: (a) a set of solid-oxide electrolyte plates formed by suspending a solid oxide powder in a gas, passing the suspension through an arc discharge to generate a plasma spray and deposit the solid oxide until plates of about 50 to about 750 microns in thickness a

An electrochemcial converter comprising: (a) a set of solid-oxide electrolyte plates formed by suspending a solid oxide powder in a gas, passing the suspension through an arc discharge to generate a plasma spray and deposit the solid oxide until plates of about 50 to about 750 microns in thickness are deposited, removing the plates from the substrate; and then coating said electrolyte plates with a fuel electrode material on one surface of each plate and an oxidizer electrode material on a second surface of each plate; and (b) a set of interconnector plates having corrugated structures, comprising at least one material chosen from the group of platinum and nickel alloys and silicon carbide composites, the metal plate having a thickness ranging from about 100 to about 1000 microns in the case of nickel alloy, having a thickness ranging from about 50 to 300 microns in the case of silicon carbide, and having a thickness ranging from about 25 to about 250 microns in the case of platinum alloys, the corrugated structure defining groove networks for the passage of gases and ridges for gas seals and electrical contact with the electrode coatings of the electrolyte plates said interconnector plates having a greater coefficient of thermal expansion than said electrolyte plates; wherein the converter is assembled by stacking alternating layers of the electrolyte and interconnector plates together at an elevated assembly temperature to fuse the adjacent plates to each other such that upon cooling the electrolyte plates experience in-plane compression.